VETASSESS Skills Assessment: Fees, Timelines & Why It Gets Refused
How VETASSESS assesses your qualification and employment history for a skilled occupation. Covers what the assessment actually costs and takes, and the reference-letter mistake behind most refusals. Figures as at September 2026.
Read the full guide, with official sources →
Watch
Chapters
- 0:00 VETASSESS assesses 360+ occupations.
- 0:14 Two categories:
- 0:27 Each occupation sets its own bar:
- 0:39 Qualification checked against
- 0:53 Under 20 hours a week?
- 1:04 The #1 refusal reason:
- 1:15 Standard: 12 to 16 weeks.
- 1:25 Standard $1,160.
- 1:45 Positive: valid for 3 years.
- 2:04 Choosing the right occupation
- 2:16 Where to read more
Transcript
VETASSESS assesses over 360 occupations — and most refusals come down to one thing: your reference letters not matching the occupation you nominated.
There are two categories. Professional occupations cover management, business and social roles. General occupations cover trades, technical and clerical roles not handled by a trade-specific authority.
Every occupation sets its own minimum qualification level, required field of study, and required employment experience — usually 1 year of highly relevant work in the past 5 years.
Qualification assessment compares your highest qualification against the Australian Qualifications Framework level the occupation requires. Below that level, or in an unrelated field, and the assessment is at risk.
Employment assessment needs detailed reference letters on company letterhead, plus payslips or tax records — and work under 20 hours a week generally isn't counted at all.
The single biggest refusal reason is a reference letter describing duties that don't match the ANZSCO occupation's own task list — sometimes compared word by word.
Standard processing currently runs 12 to 16 weeks. Priority processing is 5 to 10 business days, for an extra fee.
Fees vary by service. A standard assessment currently runs around $1,160. Adding Points Test Advice brings it to about $1,355. Priority processing adds roughly $1,650, and a review of a negative decision costs about $645.
A positive assessment is valid for 3 years for migration purposes. A negative one can be reviewed within 90 days.
Self-employment without third-party proof — client contracts, ABN records, tax returns — draws particular scrutiny from VETASSESS.
The occupation you nominate has to match the actual seniority and duties of your work — that's the choice most refusals trace back to. A MARA-registered agent can help pick the right one before you apply.
The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description. And if you'd like to talk it through, you can compare registered migration agents there, and see their fees before you book anything.
Short versions
- Why VETASSESS refuses skills assessments (0:36)
- Under 20 hours a week? VETASSESS won't count it (0:34)
- Priority processing: weeks down to days (0:33)
Talk it through with a registered agent
Every agent on Migratio is on the official OMARA register. Compare agents and their consultation fees.